Undercover
by lorrie
Summary: Walker has been away for awhile and Alex is feeling neglected. Meanwhile, Gage & Trivette are on an undercover assignment and find that they may be in over their heads. FINAL CHAPTER NOW UP!!!
1. Default Chapter

"Undercover" By Lorrie  
  
Disclaimer: The following story is based on the characters of the TV Series "Walker, Texas Ranger". The characters belong to CBS Productions, Top Kick Productions, Washo Brother's Entertainment, etc, but the story is mine. ALL DISCLAIMERS APPLY. (No copyright infringement is intended.)  
  
NOTE: If there are any Judson Mills fans reading this, he has a birthday coming up on May 10! A Yahoo group site has been opened to leave your personal birthday greetings! Please join the group and leave your message!  
  
Judson has been made aware of the site and hopefully will be reading it on or around his birthday.  
  
Go to Yahoo.com, then select groups. From there, enter judsonmillshappybirthday. This should take you to the site.  
  
*********************************************************  
  
Alex turned away as Walker entered the bedroom. She knew that she was being stubborn, but he had just returned from a business trip in Houston and now he had just received word that he was needed on the undercover assignment that Gage and Trivette had been working for the past two weeks.  
  
"Alex, I'm sorry." He whispered as he climbed in bed beside of her. Tears silently ran down her face as she felt him gently kiss her cheek. "I wish there were some other way, but I need to be there on this one to keep Gage and Trivette's covers in place."  
  
"I know, but you just got back from a three day trip and you haven't even seen Angela."  
  
"I just checked in on her. She's sleeping like an angel." He wrapped his arms around his wife. "Alex, you knew what you were getting into when you married me. As long as I'm a Texas Ranger, I'm committed to serve the people of Texas."  
  
She finally turned to him, allowing him to see her tear-stained, bruised face.  
  
The gentle look in his eyes immediately turned to anger. "Alex!" He exclaimed. "What happened?"  
  
"It's nothing." She brushed his hand away and watched as he got up to turn on the overhead light.  
  
"It doesn't look like nothing." He said as he knelt down in front of her and brushed her hair from her cheek again. "What happened? Who did this?"  
  
Alex looked into her husband's eyes. "Joanne was busy and I needed a deposition from an accused felon for another case I'm working on, so I decided to take it myself. So, " she sighed. "I drove down to the state penitentiary and was escorted to an interrogation room. The man was brought up and shackled to the table, normal procedure. I took the deposition and was still writing notes when the guards came to get him. I didn't look up when I heard the cuffs rattling, and before I knew it, he had overtaken one of the guards and made a lunge for me." She began to cry softly. "I was so scared."  
  
Walker took her into his arms. "Alex, who was it? Who did you speak to?"  
  
She stopped crying and looked into Walker's eyes. "Michael Vincent." She said softly.  
  
"Vincent!" Walker raged. "Alex, he made threats against you when he was sentenced. How could you have possibly took a deposition from him without armed guards in the room?"  
  
Alex looked at him with anger in her eyes. "It was a deposition, Walker and he was shackled to the table, it's not like he could get at me while I was talking to him." She shot back.  
  
"What case are you working on that involves Michael Vincent?"  
  
Alex looked down and then back at Walker. "Vincent's wife was found dead in their home two days ago. All of the evidence points to Michael's brother Troy."  
  
"And you had to have Vincent's statement saying what?" Walker asked.  
  
"Walker, I'm conducting an investigation through the County Prosecutors office, I have to be thorough and that included getting first hand information from Michael Vincent!"  
  
Walker stood and walked to the opposite side of the bed. "It's not like you to be so irresponsible, Alex."  
  
Alex jumped to her feet and face Walker. "Don't you dare tell me how to do my job, Cordell Walker!"  
  
Walker started to speak but was interrupted by the telephone. "Hello!" He barked.  
  
"Walker, it's Sydney. We've got a big problem."  
  
"Yeah, tell me about it." Walker muttered.  
  
"What?" Sydney asked.  
  
"Nothing. What's going on?"  
  
"DEA is moving in on the case. I have from a good source that they're planning a raid within the next 24 hours. We've got to get Gage and Trivette out of there, or at the very least get through to whoever's heading up the raid.  
  
Walker sighed. "Alright Sydney find out what you can about the raid and who's in charge. I'll see what I can do to get Gage & Trivette out of there before anything goes down."  
  
"Walker, be careful."  
  
"I'll call you later to see what you've found out."  
  
"Are you sure you don't want back up?"  
  
"I'll let you know." He said and hung up the phone.  
  
Alex came back into the bedroom after soothing Angela who had been awaken by the phone. "Who was it?"  
  
"Sydney. DEA is planning a raid on the Juarez cocaine lab and Gage and Trivette are undercover there."  
  
"But DEA doesn't know that, right?"  
  
Walker nodded. "Right. Alex, I've got to either get them out or get in touch with the lead on the raid."  
  
"How can I help?" She asked.  
  
"Stay here with Angela and know that I love you more than anything else in this world." He took her in his arms and kissed her long and hard.  
  
**********  
  
"Something's going on." Trivette whispered to Gage as he carried supplies inside the lab.  
  
Gage nodded. "Yeah, I got that feeling too."  
  
"I overheard Juarez and Marcus talking over there. They've been tipped that the lab is going to be raided within the next 24 hours."  
  
"How did anyone locate the lab? I mean, you and I were brought in here blindfolded and supposedly no one knows where this place is."  
  
"Maybe someone inside is a snitch." Trivette suggested.  
  
Gage noticed that Marcus was eyeing them. "You'd better get back to what you were doing."  
  
Trivette nodded and continued loading supplies.  
  
Marcus stopped in front of Sam. "How well do you know those two?" He pointed to Gage and then to Trivette.  
  
"We pulled them out of a bar room brawl in town a couple of weeks ago."  
  
"Three weeks ago." Marcus corrected. "What do we know about them?"  
  
"No more than we know about the others." Sam replied.  
  
Marcus continued to stare at Gage and Trivette. "See what you can find out about them. There's something there that I don't trust."  
  
Sam nodded as Marcus walked away.  
  
********* Walker smiled at Alex as he left the bedroom and headed out towards the bar where he had left Gage and Trivette three weeks ago, hoping to spot the same man who he had watched load his friends into the back of a truck and carry them off.  
  
Soon, he arrived at 'The Roust About' and parked his RAM. Before getting out, he took off his badge and placed it above the visor. "I'll never get anything out of anyone if they know I'm a Ranger." He said to himself.  
  
As soon as he stepped inside, he spotted the man who had been so chummy with Gage and Trivette. Stepping up to the bar, he ordered a beer and took a seat near the table where the man sat.  
  
He waited until one of the men started to get up and deliberately stuck his foot out to trip him. When the man hit the ground, he pushed himself up and scowled at Walker. "You'll pay for that, little man."  
  
Walker stood up knowing that he may have bitten off more than he could chew when he realized that he only came up to the center of the burly man's chest. "I'm really sorry mister. I was just on my way to get another beer. Could I buy you one?"  
  
"Sure, but first, you pay for tripping me." The burly man made a fist and drew back his arm. Walker rammed his fist into the man's stomach and found it to be hard as rock. He drew back his fist and shook it as it started to pain.  
  
"My turn." The burly man replied and before Walker could respond, the man's fist made contact with his jaw, sending him to the floor. "There, now we're even." The man stretched out his hand to help Walker to his feet. "Name's Tiny." He said.  
  
Walker rubbed his throbbing jaw for a moment and then took Tiny's outstretched hand. "Morgan. Caleb Morgan." He offered.  
  
"I'll take that beer now Caleb."  
  
"Sure Tiny." Walker followed Tiny to the bar. "Two drafts." He said as the bartender stepped closer to them.  
  
"Two drafts coming up."  
  
"So, what do you do Caleb?" Tiny asked after finishing his drink.  
  
"I'm sort of between jobs right now. What do you do?"  
  
Tiny scratched his beard. "Let's say I'm in public relations."  
  
Walker nodded. "Don't suppose your employer would be looking for anyone right now?"  
  
"He's always looking for new men. Tell you what," he slapped Walker on the back. "I'll take you to him and he can let you know if he's hiring or not."  
  
"Sounds good to me. I'll follow you in my truck, it's parked right outside."  
  
"Sorry Caleb. It doesn't work that way. I have to take you and you have to be blindfolded. This is all very top secret stuff."  
  
Walker nodded and once they were outside, he allowed Tiny to put a black hood over his head. "It's about an hour ride, so make yourself comfortable." He shouted as he helped Walker into the back of the pickup and pulled a tarp down over the bed.  
  
*********  
  
Sydney had worked half of the night searching for a name. "Who are you?" She asked aloud as she worked. Finally, she hacked into the mainframe of DEA headquarters. "Gotcha." She said as she pulled up the case file labeled, Juarez-Dallas. "Now comes the hard part, waiting for Walker to call back."  
  
She quickly printed the file she had found and closed out of the DEA mainframe. "I'm so glad Trivette taught me how to do this. I'll have to remember to thank him for it." She smiled as she placed the report into a manila file folder and turned her computer off.  
  
*******  
  
"Sanchez, we need to speak for a moment." Marcus said as he saw Juan Sanchez approaching.  
  
"What about?" Sanchez asked with just a vague hint of an accent.  
  
"In private." Marcus motioned to the other side of the truck, out of view of the others.  
  
"OK, now what?" Sanchez asked.  
  
"You're sure about this raid?"  
  
"Positive. I overhead Tom this morning on the phone."  
  
"And you're sure about Tom? What is he anyway, FBI, DEA, what?"  
  
"I'm assuming DEA. Marcus, we shouldn't be seen together."  
  
Marcus nodded. "Go on." He patted Sanchez's back.  
  
Gage noticed Sanchez as he came around the truck. "Now where has he been?" He started towards the truck and then quickly turned away when he saw Marcus move from behind it a few seconds later. "What are they up to?"  
  
Later during the day, Trivette crossed paths with Gage again at the water barrel. "Did you see Sanchez and Marcus talking this morning?" He asked.  
  
Gage shook his head. "I didn't see them talking, but I saw them come from behind the truck."  
  
"I'm betting that Sanchez is the snitch." Trivette confessed.  
  
"Maybe, but that still doesn't explain how he got his information, if it's correct."  
  
"Oh, it's correct alright." Sanchez said loudly just before he clubbed Gage with the stock of his rifle. Trivette started after him as Gage fell to the ground, but two other men grabbed him. "I would suggest that you come quietly unless you wish to watch your friend die." Sanchez motioned to two other men and they dragged Gage and Trivette towards a waiting truck.  
  
"What about the other one?" Sam asked.  
  
Sanchez nodded. "I will bring him personally."  
  
After Trivette and Gage had been dumped into the back of the truck, it sped away. Trivette knew that they were in big trouble. As the truck bumped along, he thought of jumping and making a run for it, but knew that the thought was out of the question, at least until Gage regain consciousness.  
  
End Pt. 1 


	2. Undercover Chapter 2

"Undercover" Part 2 By Lorrie  
  
Disclaimer: The following story is based on the characters of the TV Series "Walker, Texas Ranger". The characters belong to CBS Productions, Top Kick Productions, Washo Brother's Entertainment, etc, but the story is mine. ALL DISCLAIMERS APPLY. (No copyright infringement is intended.)  
  
Walker blinked several times after the blindfold was removed from his eyes. "Welcome to Diablo's Den." Tiny said as he led Walker towards Sam.  
  
"Who do we have here?" Sam asked.  
  
"This is Caleb. I picked him up at the same watering hole as the other two." Tiny looked around. "Where are they anyhow?"  
  
"Had to let them go. They just didn't work out."  
  
Walker knew he had to get some information fast. Gage and Trivette were, at the very least, in trouble. "Thank you for this opportunity." Walker reached out to shake Sam's hand.  
  
Sam scowled at him. "First thing you need to learn is your place. Here, I am the leader and you are the follower. You don't ever raise you hand to me for any reason. If you do, you may draw back a nub. Secondly, you are to work in silence and do as your told. I allow no talking here."  
  
"And if someone does?" Walker asked.  
  
Sam pulled one of the workers from his post. "Open your mouth Jorge." The middle aged man complied and Walker was appalled to see that the man's tongue had been cut out.  
  
"Now, you will bunk in that tent. A sleeping bag is already in place. There are five men per tent. You get three meals a day with a cup of water or coffee. Any questions?"  
  
"What exactly will I be doing?" Walker asked as they began to walk through the camp.  
  
"Mining, for gold. This is a small operation on a small vain, so we can't afford the big machinery, yet. We do all of the mining by hand and at the end of the week, you'll be paid."  
  
"How much?"  
  
"Whatever I decide you're worth." Sam replied as they approached Juan. "This is Caleb. Get him started." Sam lingered a moment until Walker had picked up his coveralls. "Juan, did you take care of the other situation?"  
  
Juan nodded. "Yes sir. Same procedure as before."  
  
"Good. I'll follow up later this afternoon."  
  
Walker pretended not to hear the conversation between Juan and Sam. He knew that when Sam left this afternoon, he had better be with him if he had any chance of getting to Gage and Trivette.  
  
********* Sydney was curled up on the couch reading through the file that she had taken from the DEA database. She sat straight up when she came across a name she recognized. "Oh my Lord!" She exclaimed. "Andrew Vincent!" She reached for the phone and dialed Alex.  
  
"Hello." Alex answered quietly.  
  
"Alex, aren't you working on a case involving Andrew Vincent?" She asked with urgency in her voice.  
  
"Yes, why?"  
  
"You're not going to believe whose name I've ran across while working on another case."  
  
"Who?" Alex asked.  
  
"Andrew Vincent. It appears that he's a suspect in a slave labor ring near the boarder."  
  
"Sydney, is that where Gage and Trivette are?" Alex asked, her concern for her husband and their friends growing by the minute.  
  
Sydney paused. "Yes."  
  
"Vincent will recognize Walker and Jimmy in a heartbeat. They're the reason his brother Michael is in prison." Upon saying his name, her hand reached for the bruise on her cheek.  
  
******** The truck continued to bump along the road as Gage began to stir. "Gage, you OK?" Trivette called out as Gage tried to sit up, his hands reaching for the back of his head.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Where are we now?" He asked, finally bringing himself to a sitting position.  
  
"They threw us in the back of another truck. As near as I can tell, we've been bumping along for about 20 minutes." Trivette reported.  
  
"Think we're headed for the boarder?" Gage asked.  
  
Jimmy nodded. "Probably. And once we get there, it's not going to be that easy to get back."  
  
Gage's jaw dropped slightly as the truck stopped. There were noises outside that the two captives interpreted as a confrontation. Trivette listened closely as voices neared the back of the truck. "If you are carrying what I think you are carrying, we will be taking your truck."  
  
"I don't think so. This truck is going into Mexico and no one is stopping it." The next sound heard was gunfire - two shots and then the truck resumed its journey.  
  
"What do you think that was all about?" Gage asked.  
  
Trivette shook his head. "I don't know."  
  
******  
  
Walker took the pick that had been handed to him and began to dig into the rock, looking for gold. Juarez approached him, taking note that he being very diligent in his work. "Good job Morgan. Keep it up."  
  
Walker, remembering Sam's warning of not talking, only nodded to Juarez and then watched him continue his patrol. He stopped near another white man. "I'm on to you C.J." The man looked at him oddly in response. "I know who you are and I know what you are." Juarez said with a stern expression. "You will pay dearly for what you are trying to bring down on us."  
  
Juarez continued towards the building at the end of the canyon while C.J. stared after him, a look of sheer fright on his face. Walker made a mental note to try to talk to the young man later.  
  
********  
  
After hanging up with Alex, Sydney pulled on her shoes and gathered the files. She had gotten the feeling that Alex was more than a little nervous about Andrew Vincent and thought it might be a good idea to go and check on her.  
  
Twenty minutes later, there was a knock on the Walker's back door. "Sydney?" Alex asked as she opened the door, startled to see her friend standing there.  
  
"Sorry to barge in on you like this, but I thought you might want to help me with this file. It's getting a bit overwhelming."  
  
Alex smiled. She knew the real reason Sydney had stopped by and it had nothing to do with the DEA file. She truly appreciate the friendship that she and Sydney shared, it was almost like being with her sister. "I'll get us some coffee."  
  
"So have you come up with a name yet?" Alex asked as she sat down at the table, coffee in hand.  
  
Sydney shook her head as she sipped from the cup Alex had given her. "No. Everywhere there should be the name of a DEA Agent, there's a blank space. They have a man on the inside, but we don't know who and we don't know who's leading this investigation, let alone the impending raid."  
  
"Sydney, why were Gage and Jimmy sent in anyway? How exactly did the Rangers get involved?"  
  
"Oh, that's right, you've been so tied up with your other cases, although I'm a bit surprised that Walker didn't say anything." Sydney paused. "Maria Gonzales approached us last week."  
  
"Maria, the cleaning lady at the courthouse?"  
  
Sydney nodded. "Her husband Roberto had disappeared the previous day and she was very worried. Walker assured her that we would help her find Roberto."  
  
"And did you?"  
  
"Walker's investigation led him to what appears to be a slave labor camp that operates on both sides of the boarder. He traced Roberto to a bar just west of Laredo and found that he had left with a man named Tiny and no one has seen him since."  
  
"So that's why Walker was in such a hurry to get to Laredo."  
  
"Yes. That and the fact that Gage and Trivette have been down there for three days now and we haven't heard anything from them."  
  
"I know. Walker did tell me that." She looked at Sydney with sadness in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I know this must be hard on you."  
  
"I just wish that there was something I could do."  
  
"You're doing it. We need to keep digging in this file until we come up with names." Alex and Sydney then focused their attentions on the file.  
  
********  
  
It was suppertime at Diablo's Den. Walker knew that this was the only chance he would have to try and talk to C.J., as they were allowed to quietly converse during meals. He watched carefully, taking note of where C.J. sat. The young man looked very nervous as he approached him. "Is this seat taken?"  
  
C.J. shook his head and then looked away as Walker sat down. "I'm Caleb Morgan." He extended his hand.  
  
"C.J. Roberts."  
  
"C.J. is something wrong?"  
  
The man shook his head. "No, why do you ask?"  
  
"I overhead Juarez talking to you earlier. He said that he knew who you were and what you were."  
  
"You don't want to get involved mister." C.J. responded.  
  
Walker looked down at his plate as one of the guards walked by. Once the man was gone, he looked up at C.J. again. "C.J., can I can trust you with my life?"  
  
C.J. looked puzzled. "I guess, why?"  
  
"I'm a Texas Ranger. Two of men were brought here a few days ago, but I haven't been able to find them since I got here."  
  
C.J. snickered slightly. "Geez, three Rangers and a DEA agent all in one camp and we've all managed to be found out, except you."  
  
"You're DEA?" Walker asked.  
  
The young man nodded. "That's what Juarez meant. They're on to me and I'm guessing that they plan to take me off, just like they did your Rangers."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"I don't know. I've been here for almost two months and I've seen many men come in, just to be taken away if the big man doesn't like them."  
  
"Who is the big man?"  
  
"Name's Vincent." C.J. thought for a moment, but before he could speak, Walker finished the name.  
  
"Andrew Vincent."  
  
"Yeah, guess you've heard of him."  
  
"My partner and I put his brother in prison. He's currently serving a life term."  
  
"I don't' know how to get out of this one. Someone here must have overheard me talking. My real name's Tom Michaels, just so you know."  
  
"I'm Cordell Walker."  
  
The DEA agent's eyes lit up. "Everyone's heard of you. You're legendary."  
  
Walker's eyes quickly went down as Juarez approached the table. "C.J., time for you to pay your dues." Two men manhandled the young man away from the table.  
  
Juarez's eyes never left Walker. "You don't have anything to say in defense of your new friend?"  
  
Walker shook his head. "I just me the guy. What did he do anyway?"  
  
"He's a cop! I just cleared away two and now here's another in my midst. You're not a cop too, are you Caleb? I can smell them a mile away, you know."  
  
"No Juarez, I'm not a cop."  
  
"Good! Finish your meal and get back to work." Juarez joined the men who were hauling Tom towards the back of a truck. "Get in!" He heard one of them shout. "Now!"  
  
As Juarez left the table, Walker crept along the barrels near the truck and after watching Juarez climb in, he quickly scooted underneath the truck and found two good footholds and a bar to hold on to.  
  
When the truck began to move, Walker realized what a bumpy ride he was in for. The dust kicked up into his face unmercifully and it was all he could do to keep his grip on the metal bar, which was growing hotter with every mile the truck traveled.  
  
******* Gage and Trivette were both flung towards the back of the truck as it came to an abrupt halt. In seconds, the back gate was opened and the two Rangers found themselves facing five men with automatic weapons aimed at them. "Get out!" One of the men instructed.  
  
"Who are you and where are we?" Trivette asked.  
  
"We'll ask the questions around here." One of the men bellowed. "Who do you work for?"  
  
Gage and Trivette looked at each other and then back to the troop of men. "I'm not really sure." Trivette said.  
  
"Arrest them. If they're not going to talk there, then by God, they'll talk at headquarters!"  
  
"Wait a minute!" Gage spoke up. "Who are you and what headquarters are you talking about?"  
  
"DEA Headquarters, son. You two are about to embark on a long journey that's going to end in the federal penitentiary."  
  
Gage squirmed as he was handcuffed. "Wait a minute!" He yelled as he looked at Trivette.  
  
"You've got it all wrong. We're both Texas Rangers and we've been undercover at Diablo's Den for almost a week now." Trivette explained.  
  
Before anyone could say anything, one of the men whispered in the commander's ear.  
  
The commander nodded at the two men who were preparing to shove Gage and Trivette into another waiting truck. "Hold up. They're telling the truth. They're both Texas Rangers. Release them."  
  
Gage rubbed his wrists as he turned to the commander to shake his hand. "Thanks. I'm Gage and that's Trivette."  
  
"How did the Rangers come to be involved in this, Ranger Gage?" The Commander asked.  
  
"It started as a missing persons report and eventually led us to this human slave ring called Diablo's Den."  
  
"It's not just a slave ring, Ranger. They're transporting more drugs out of this one small operation than we've ran into in a long time."  
  
"Drugs? They're convincing the worker's that they're mining for gold."  
  
The commander nodded. "That's how they figure out which ones they can trust. You two were on your way across the boarder where you would have been placed in the lab and probably never heard from again." He turned to Trivette with a picture of Agent Tom Michaels. "This is our man on the inside. We haven't heard from him in almost two weeks. Did you happen to see him?" Trivette nodded. "C.J. Yeah, he's there. Juarez hounded him all day yesterday though. I don't know if he's on to him or not."  
  
"Thanks." The commander pocketed the pictures. "We had better get you two back to your people."  
  
"Thanks." Gage and Trivette both replied.  
  
End Pt. 2 


	3. Chapter 3

"Undercover" Part 3 By Lorrie  
  
Disclaimer: The following story is based on the characters of the TV Series "Walker, Texas Ranger". The characters belong to CBS Productions, Top Kick Productions, Washo Brother's Entertainment, etc, but the story is mine. ALL DISCLAIMERS APPLY. (No copyright infringement is intended.)  
  
Before pulling out, Gage eyed the Commander's cellphone. "Excuse me, could I use your cell? I sure would like to let my wife know that we're on our way back."  
  
"Sorry son. You won't be able to get a signal out here. You'll have to wait until we're back in town. I'm sure your missus can wait that long." He half smiled at the young Ranger.  
  
Gage nodded and took his seat next to Trivette in the back of yet another truck. Jimmy grinned at him. "What?" Gage asked in a defensive tone.  
  
"Nothing." Jimmy raised his hands, but continued to laugh.  
  
"I can't help it. I miss her when she's not with me." Gage confessed as a smile crossed his face.  
  
"I know. Too bad Sydney couldn't have dressed as a man. We could have used her down here."  
  
Gage shook his head and grew serious. "Don't even think it, Trivette. As much as I wish she were with me, I'm glad she wasn't. Not this time."  
  
******** Walker continued to bump along the underside of the truck. He nearly lost his grip when the truck jerked to a stop suddenly.  
  
"What's wrong?" Sam asked as Manuel stopped the truck.  
  
"There's something in the road up ahead."  
  
"Trouble?"  
  
"I don't know." He put the truck in gear and crawled towards the objects in the road. As he grew closer, he could make out the figures of two men, his men.  
  
"Holy mother of God, it's two of our men." Sam said as Manuel once again stopped the truck. Both men got out for a closer look. While they were occupied with the bodies, Walker slid from his hiding place and made his way to the back of the truck. Surprisingly, there was no lock on the back. Walker figured that the gate had been rigged to not open from the inside. He lifted the latch and quickly opened it as wide as he dared. Before helping Tom out, he checked on Sam and Manuel. They were still examining the bodies.  
  
Tom turned his back towards Walker so he could remove the ropes binding his hands. Once he was free, Walker closed the gate and they both made a run for the woods, still unnoticed by Sam and Manuel.  
  
******* The truck rambled to a stop and Trivette and Gage hopped out of the back. "So, where exactly are we?" Gage asked.  
  
"You're in Laredo gentlemen." The Commandant said as he exited the cab of the truck.  
  
Gage rubbed the back of his head just as he caught sight of a familiar petite figure coming their way. "Syd?"  
  
Trivette turned and smiled. "Sydney, how did you know where to find us?"  
  
"I got a call." She eyed the Commander.  
  
He tipped his hat at her. "Ma'am."  
  
Gage slipped his arms around Sydney. "I'm glad you're here, Shorty."  
  
"Me too." She said enjoying Gage's strong embrace and wanting nothing more than to feel his lips on hers, but knowing that this was neither the time nor place for that, she pulled away. "Where's Walker?" She asked.  
  
"Walker?" Trivette questioned, looking at Gage who shrugged his shoulders.  
  
Sydney's eyes grew large. "You mean that you two haven't seen Walker? He came down here to get you guys out."  
  
Trivette's mouth opened slightly and he looked at Gage again. "Oh no, you don't suppose he's at Diablo's Den do you?"  
  
Gage nodded. "If he's not there now, I would bet that he has been there."  
  
The Commander approached the group of Rangers and cleared his throat. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation." He paused. "Come with me." The Rangers followed the Commander into a briefing room. "Close the door." He instructed Trivette as he was the last one in.  
  
"Now, under normal circumstances the DEA and the Texas Rangers don't really cross each others paths, but that is under NORMAL circumstances. Since we are all here and our cases seem to have crossed over, I'd like to know if the three of you would be interested in assisting my men," he paused and looked at Sydney.  
  
Sydney smiled at the Commander. "How can we be of assistance?" She asked.  
  
The hard-faced Commander returned the smile. "I think you're going to be a great asset in this raid young lady."  
  
Gage threw him a stern look. "What exactly are you thinking?" He asked.  
  
"Ranger Cooke would be a perfect decoy. I'm sure that Juarez and the rest of the 'boys' won't know what hit them as long as Ranger Cooke is standing close by."  
  
"Standing?" Gage asked. "You mean you want her to go in there with those brutes and . . ."  
  
Sydney cleared her throat. "Gage, I can take care of myself and I certainly don't need to ask your permission."  
  
"Technically, I have more seniority than you and . . ."  
  
"And I have more seniority than both of you." Trivette chimed in. "Gage, Sydney can take care of herself, besides we won't be far behind her, right?" He looked at the Commander.  
  
The Commander nodded. "Exactly. The way I figure it, Ranger Cooke goes in as a woman driving through the desert, alone gets herself lost and then her car dies on her. That'll get her in and once she has Juarez and the others off guard, we come in."  
  
"How many in your unit?" Gage asked.  
  
"Fifteen." The Commander replied. "Are we in agreement?"  
  
Sydney and Trivette both looked at Gage. He rolled his eyes. "Ok, ok, I know when I'm outnumbered."  
  
******* "What do you think happened to them?" Manuel asked.  
  
"I don't know, but I think we should get moving with our cargo." Sam replied as he headed back towards the truck, still not realizing that their cargo was missing.  
  
Walker and Tom kept themselves hidden just below the embankment until they heard the truck pull away. "Come on." Walker said as he helped Tom to his feet. "What's the plan?' Tom asked.  
  
"We're going to have to walk back to town." Walker said as they started down the rough road.  
  
"How far you think it is?"  
  
Walker shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, but I do know we had better put as much distance between us and that truck as we can before they check inside."  
  
Tom nodded and the two men started down the road towards the nearest town.  
  
******  
  
The Commander briefed his team, including Trivette, Sydney and Gage on their plan. Sydney was to drive a loaner car right into Diablo's Den with the radiator smoking to get their attention. Once the men were busy helping the damsel in distress, the team would storm the camp and make their arrests.  
  
Sydney was to set out a good half hour after the truck carrying the rest of the team, so they could get themselves in place before she made her appearance.  
  
"Everyone understand their duty?" The Commander asked.  
  
"Yes sir." The group responded in unison.  
  
"Good, then move out."  
  
Gage paused with Sydney in the doorway. "You be careful Shorty. I want you back in one piece."  
  
Sydney nodded. "You too."  
  
Gage reluctantly left her in the doorway and ran to catch up with the rest of the team.  
  
Sydney watched the truck pull away and then looked at her watch. "OK, thirty minutes from now."  
  
********  
  
The team stopped about a mile away from Diablo's Den and scattered themselves on a ridge just above the camp. "You two Rangers move in closer to the camp along with two of my men so you can help that little lady if she needs it."  
  
Gage and Trivette looked at each other and smiled, knowing that Sydney could definitely take care of herself if she needed to, but they did as the Commander suggested and moved in closer to the camp.  
  
********* Sydney bumped along the rough road in the beat up, old Chevrolet that the Commander had found for her to drive. She knew that she wasn't too far from the camp and as she looked around she noted that the DEA SWAT teams were nowhere in sight, then of course, they weren't supposed to be.  
  
"Who's this?" Trivette asked as he noted a Jeep pulling into the camp. Gage turned his binoculars away from Sydney's car and focused on the man Juarez was greeting.  
  
"Um, this guy looks familiar." Gage said as he pushed the 'talk' button on his radio. "Commander, did you note the Jeep that just pulled in?"  
  
"Sure did." The Commander sounded as if he were beaming. "That's Andrew Vincent, the owner of Diablo's Den. We've been waiting to catch him in the action and looks like today's our lucky day!"  
  
"Thanks Commander." Gage replied.  
  
Juarez saw the old car approaching and watched carefully as the radiator finally gave up and steam began pouring out from under the hood. His hand went for his gun. "Be on guard, amigo." He said, looking at Vincent.  
  
Vincent nodded as the two men watched the car door open and a pair of sexy, dark legs emerge.  
  
"What the . . .?" Vincent questioned as he glanced at Juarez.  
  
Juarez wore a broad smile. "I don't know, amigo, but this is the best luck that has ever poured into Diablo's Den." He laughed, holstering his gun.  
  
"She's in and they're taking the bait." Trivette said over the radio.  
  
"Roger that." The Commander responded and then moved his teams towards the camp.  
  
Sydney popped the hood of the car and leaned over the fender, pretending to jiggle wires.  
  
"Careful senorita, you may burn yourself." Vincent said as he and Juarez neared the car.  
  
Sydney turned towards the two men and half smiled. "Si Senor. Thank you for your concern over my safety."  
  
"It's our pleasure." Vincent tipped his hat and then offered his arm. "Juarez, see if there is anything you can do for the lady's car." Vincent then led Sydney to his Jeep and helped her into the seat. "What is your name?" He asked.  
  
"I am Maria Ortez."  
  
"And Maria Ortez, what brings you all the way out here, in the middle of nowhere, alone?" Vincent asked.  
  
Gage and Trivette were within hearing distance of Sydney. Gage knew that she was going to have a hard time explaining her way out of this situation and he was afraid that Vincent may already be suspicious of her. He caught her eye and motioned to her.  
  
"Maria, what is it?" Vincent asked as he realized that she was no longer paying attention to him, but to something behind him. He quickly turned just as Gage leaped over the Jeep and delivered a flying kick to his chest.  
  
One of Juarez's men grabbed at Sydney, pulling her from the truck. The man smiled wickedly as he watched her fall to the ground. Sydney paused for a moment, letting the man think that she would be no threat, and then she swept his feet from beneath him with one swift move.  
  
Vincent recovered more quickly than Gage had expected. He was on his feet and challenging Gage to fight. He threw two strong punches, catching Gage in the ribs. The Ranger staggered slightly and turned away from his assailant. After recomposing himself, he turned with a strong spin kick, delivering it expertly to Vincent's chest, propelling him to the ground.  
  
Juarez started to run, but Trivette was on him quickly. He leaped into the air and tackled the man before he could get away. Soon the other teams descended on the camp and sorted through the men who were being held in the camp and those running it.  
  
Trivette, along with half of the SWAT team herded several men towards a waiting truck. "What happened to you?" He asked as he saw Gage holding his ribs.  
  
"I was about to ask you the same thing. I thought you were with me when I went over the Jeep."  
  
"I started to, but then I saw Juarez running from the car and well, I thought you could take care of yourself."  
  
********  
  
Manuel and Sam arrived at their stop point, just this side of the boarder. "Let's check the cargo. We should probably put the chains on them here before we cross over the river."  
  
Manuel nodded as he and Sam both got out, dragging two sets of chains with them.  
  
Sam lifted the latch and opened the back of the truck and his eyes grew wide when he found it empty. "They're gone!" He called out.  
  
"They cannot be." Manuel said.  
  
"But they are." Sam replied. "They had to have got out when we stopped for those bodies in the road."  
  
"We had better make tracks, if Mr. Vincent finds out we've lost anyone he'll make sure that we go in their place."  
  
Manuel nodded and followed Sam to the truck.  
  
********  
  
Walker and Tom neared the small town that for miles had just been a dot on the horizon. "Thank God!" Tom shouted as they stepped into the edge of the town.  
  
Walker looked at him and then pointed to a phone booth. "I need to contact my people."  
  
"Hey, so do I!" Tom exclaimed as he picked up the receiver. Walker calmly took the receiver from his hand and began to dial Sydney's cell phone.  
  
"Sydney." She answered.  
  
"Sydney, it's Walker."  
  
"Walker!" She shouted. "Where are you?"  
  
"I'm in a little town about ten miles south of Laredo. I have Agent Tom Michaels with me."  
  
"Great, I know the Commander will want to speak with him. Are you guys alright?"  
  
"We're fine, but we have two of the camp's goons are bound to be hot on our trail about now."  
  
"We're on our way." Sydney said.  
  
Walker shook his head. "Who is 'we'?"  
  
"Me, Gage, Trivette and about a dozen DEA agents."  
  
"Great. We'll be waiting."  
  
"Was that Walker?" Trivette asked, just catching the last of Sydney's conversation.  
  
"Yes. He has Agent Tom Michaels with him." She reported as the Commander stood listening.  
  
"Good. Michaels is a good man, I sure would hate to lose him."  
  
"Walker said that he and Michaels are in a small town about ten miles south of Laredo." Sydney said.  
  
The Commander nodded. "I think I might know where. Are they pinned down?"  
  
"Not yet, but Walker's pretty sure that the two men that took them are going to be back on their trail soon."  
  
"Then we had better move out." The Commander stated.  
  
******** Manuel stopped the truck just outside of the small town. "How do we want to do this? They could be anywhere."  
  
"Let's start asking around. I'll bet someone has seen them for sure and if we tell them that they're both wanted fugitives, I'll bet people will be lining up to tell us where they are." Manuel nodded and he and Sam got out of the truck.  
  
Walker and Tom had made their way down an alley near the north entrance of town where he hoped that they could see the Rangers and DEA agents as they approached. "What do you think?" Tom asked, turning to Walker.  
  
Walker nodded. "This will do just fine if we can keep this position without Manuel and Sam finding us."  
  
No sooner than Walker had uttered the words, Manuel spotted them. "There they are Sam!" He shouted and started running towards the two men.  
  
"Shoot!" Walker exclaimed as he and Tom started to run.  
  
Meanwhile, just over the hill, two trucks filled with DEA agents and three very anxious Texas Rangers were approaching. Gage saw Walker and Tom out of the corner of his eye as they passed one of the allys. "There they are!" He shouted.  
  
"Stop here!" The Commander ordered. The trucks stopped and the agents all filed out, along with the Rangers.  
  
"Gage, you two take the back." Trivette instructed.  
  
The two young Rangers nodded and circled one of the larger buildings to find a way to the back of the ally. Gage held out his arm to stop Sydney as they approached an opening behind the building. He could hear voices.  
  
"There's too many of them Sam, how are we gonna get out of here?" Manuel asked, breathing hard.  
  
"We'll get out!" Sam replied and flinched as he felt the barrel of Gage's gun a few inches from his head.  
  
Sydney slipped from behind Gage and covered Manuel. "You two are under arrest." Gage said as he pulled his handcuffs from his pocket.  
  
"You? Let me guess, that black feller, he's a cop too?" Sam asked as Trivette joined the Rangers.  
  
"Not exactly. You see this Afro-American man is a Texas Ranger and so are these two." He pointed at Sydney and Gage. "Now, what I want to know is what have you done with Ranger Walker and Agent Michaels?" Trivette was in Sam's face now.  
  
"I ain't done nothing with them. We just saw them and started chasing them when these two showed up."  
  
Before Trivette could ask anything else, Walker and Tom stepped out of the shadows. "What took you guys so long?"  
  
"Us? We had to travel ten miles to get here." Gage replied.  
  
"At least you had a ride." Walker laughed as he looked at Tom and realized how dust ridden they were from their hike into town.  
  
"Are you two alright?" Sydney asked.  
  
Walker nodded. "Nothing that a good bath won't cure." Tom replied.  
  
********  
  
The following morning at Ranger Headquarters, Trivette, Gage and Sydney were already at their desks when Walker arrived. "So, had a little trouble getting up this morning?" Trivette teased.  
  
"Nope." Walker said with a determined look on his face that Trivette was having trouble reading.  
  
"What's wrong?" Gage asked.  
  
"Did I say something was wrong?" Walker answered.  
  
"Well, no you didn't but you sure look like something's wrong." Gage replied.  
  
Walker didn't answer, but went to his desk, sat down and began rifling through his papers. Sydney raised her eyebrows and turned back to her reports, as did Gage. Trivette, being the senior Ranger of the three took it upon himself to find out what was wrong. He picked up the phone to dial Alex.  
  
"Don't you dare." Walker said, not lifting his head from his papers, but reading his partner's moves like a book.  
  
"What?" Trivette questions innocently.  
  
"Don't you dare call Alex and ask her what's bothering me."  
  
Trivette hung up the phone and scoffed. "I wouldn't think of doing such a thing. I mean, if you want us to know what's bugging you, you'll tell us, right?" Walker didn't reply.  
  
Walker started to respond, but his phone interrupted him. "Walker!" He said gruffly.  
  
"Hi, it's me." Alex replied in a soft voice.  
  
Walker turned his chair towards the wall and held the phone.  
  
"Are you there?" Alex asked.  
  
"I'm here. Where are you?"  
  
"In my office. Did you get my note?"  
  
"What note?" Walker asked, beginning to soften slightly. "I got home late last night and you were nowhere to be found."  
  
Alex smiled and was thankful that Walker couldn't see her. "Walker, one of my cases got moved up to today and I had to come in and pull an all-nighter to get everything prepared. Where did you think I was?"  
  
Walker began to feel a little ashamed of himself. He had come home to an empty house and after their last argument over how much his work took him away from home, he couldn't help but think that maybe Alex had had enough. "I didn't really know."  
  
"I should be out of court around 1:00, how about we grab a bite of lunch? I'd really like to know that you're OK."  
  
"That sounds great. I'll meet you outside of the courtroom at 1:00 and Alex, I'm fine."  
  
"I'll be waiting." Alex said, still smiling as she hung up the phone.  
  
Walker hung up the phone and turned his chair around to find his three friends staring at him. "What?" He asked, a smile on his face.  
  
"Well, whatever it was, I take it that it's much better now, right?" Trivette asked.  
  
"There's nothing wrong. By the way, I haven't thanked you guys for coming after me and Tom back there. Why don't we plan to have lunch out tomorrow?"  
  
"Why not today?" Trivette asked, already having an idea that Walker had lunch plans.  
  
"Because today belongs to my wonderful wife." Walker smiled and stepped out of the office.  
  
THE END 


End file.
